Kyle Estep

Born and raised in the Lansing, MI area, Kyle began playing music with a Michigan-based gospel bluegrass band called Jericho Road and toured for several years. In 2010, he and his father and brother formed New County Grass with banjo player Dean Dubois.

Duane Estep

Duane has been playing and singing bluegrass music for nearly all of his life. Duane brings unique, high-energy mandolin playing to NCG. In his early years, he played music with his family, friends, and in church. Listening and learning from albums of the Osborne Bros., J.D. Crowe, Doyle Lawson, Tony Rice, and Jimmy Martin was a favorite pass time. People would stop by on Saturday night to hear Duane, his cousin Eugene Elkins, friend John Coffey, and their fathers play music. This was the learning ground for these three boys. Sometimes folks like Bill Christian, Pete Goble, Gene Boyd, and Wendy Smith would come by and play music as well. While still in school, Duane was a founding member of the original Livingston County Grass. Later, he was a member of the Detroit Bluegrass Band with Dale Estep, Dana Cupp Jr., and John Coffey. Soon after, he was a member of the Metro Grass with Ted and Danny Blankenship, along with guitar player Kevin Thompson. Years later, he joined long-time friends Jeff Tuttle, Richard Ball, and Michael Ashcraft in the gospel-bluegrass band Jericho Road. Through the years he has filled-in and/or jammed with just about every bluegrass musician in Michigan and the surrounding states.

Duane is married to Renay. They have two sons Kyle and Brent, both of who are members of NCG. Duane has always and will always love bluegrass and bluegrass gospel music, which is in his blood. He is an avid hunter, enjoys collecting instruments, guns, loves four-wheeling, and golf.

Dean Dubois

Dean brings some of the best traditional, hard-driving, and in-your-face banjo playing to NCG. Dean started playing music at the age of 4, learning chords on the guitar. It was the summers in Arkansas where he met the Wooten Brothers and began learning bluegrass music. Back in Michigan, Dean spent nearly 5 years with one of the greatest banjo players from the north, a man ahead of his time, Willard Elkins. After Willard was tragically killed in a car accident in 1982, Dean began spending more time with Willard’s son, Eugene Elkins. In 1984, Dean was married to Debbie. In the same year, he joined Jeff, Barry, and Charlie Tuttle and formed a group called Bluegrass Generation. After the group dissolved in the mid-90’s, Dean would also occasionally fill in with Michigan-based musicians like Wendy Smith and Freddie Harris. Since 2009, Dean DuBois has been an integral part of the band and we are very lucky to have him as a member of NCG.

Brent Estep

Brent brings the hard-driving backbone that NCG fans have come to appreciate and enjoy. Brent began cutting his teeth on bluegrass music at an early age, listening to J.D. Crowe and the New South, Lonesome River Band, and Boone Creek. Most of all, Brent enjoys the sound and talent of his father, Duane.

Growing up in a bluegrass family with friends and family, he has created a name for himself as a talented, young bass player. Memories of playing music in his grandparent’s living room over 10 years ago is where his uncle, Dale Estep, began to teach him the bass. Brent continues to collect instruments and has quite a bass collection (one can never have too many basses). In 2002, Brent joined his father and brother in a bluegrass-gospel group called Jericho Road.

Brent and his beautiful bride, Martha, were married in 2011. His musical heroes are Barry Bales, Edgar Myer, Todd Phillips, and Steve Bryant. He loves the outdoors and enjoys hiking, fishing, kayaking, and riding ATVs. Brent received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and graduated with his Master's Degree in Accounting.